Sea-Doo offers double bounty

April 19, 2004

Bombardier Recreational Products is once again offering the Sea-Doo Bounty racing contingency program, but this time there’s even more incentive to those who ride one of the company’s 4-TEC models, including the new RXP. Double cash awards will be awarded to riders who choose 4-TEC power.
Designed as an “open sponsorship,” the Bounty is available to all Sea-Doo racers competing in qualifying classes. All a racer has to do is place the Sea-Doo logo on his or her Sea-Doo watercraft and then finish in the money at a host of events throughout the United States. Cash awards range from a $75 payout to novice racers to a $175 payout in Expert Runabout Superstock. Ride the right boat, and those figures look more like $150 and $350, not bad given the standard payouts at most regional race events.
Last year, 42 racers in North America received financial support through the Bounty program, and were eligible to compete for the grand prize in an exhibition race held during the IJSBA World Finals. For more information on the Bounty program, log onto the Sea-Doo Today section at www.sea-doo.com, or contact Tim McKercher at 321/722-4000.Follmer Tries Dry Land
National Endurance Champion Mike Follmer will be starting a different kind of engine in April. Follmer, 48, recently accepted an invitation to race in the Pro/Celebrity Race during the 28th Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, a 10-lap event that pits some of today’s hottest celebrities and sports stars against professional drivers in identical Toyota Celica GT-S coupes boasting 180 horsepower. Joining Follmer in the race through the streets of Long Beach, California, are celebrities Frankie Muniz (“Malcolm in the Middle), Melissa Joan Hart (“Sabrina the Teenage Witch”), and Sean Astin (“Lord of the Rings”). Other racers include recording artist Lil’ Kim and boxer Laila Ali.
As an entrant with racing experience, Follmer will have to give the celebs a 30-second head start. “Because the average race time is around 20 minutes, making up a 30 second deficit and then going on to pass 13 celebrities that are all there to win too is a very big challenge,” admitted Follmer. “I am confident that I can win the pro category, and with a little bit of luck, win the overall title too.”
Of course, the big winner will again be Racing for Kids, a national children’s charity program that will again benefit Miller Children’s Hospitals of Long Beach and Children’s Hospital of Orange County. Said Follmer: “It is truly an honor to be invited to participate and represent Yamaha Motor Corporation and the entire personal watercraft community in an event like this where the entire focus is to raise money for these two very worthy causes.”PowerSki News
Ken Owen, CEO of Nova Communications Ltd., a merger candidate for Jetboard manufacturer PowerSki International, says a recent trip to the company’s Mexican manufacturing partner sparked his confidence in the product offering.
The Hines Group, per a manufacturing agreement with PowerSki, was awarded a three-year $44 million manufacturing job for 20,000 PowerSki Jetboards and 4,000 SuperTorqueXT engines. PowerSki officials say they plan to begin filling the company’s order backlog and aggressively pursue projected 2004 sales goals, including the acceptance of new dealerships across the U.S.
PowerSki currently has distributors in 36 countries around the world and over 35 dealerships set up in the U.S. To learn more about the PowerSki Jetboard, visit www.powerski.com.More Input On National Parks
Yet another National Park is seeking public comment on future rules that will allow personal watercraft back within its borders. Chicksaw National Recreation Area, home to Lake of the Arbuckles, has offered a proposal to allow PWC with only minimal restrictions, including no refueling on the water, increased no-wake zones, and the closure of a few environmentally sensitive areas. psb